Unable to reset outdoor camera (battery) and integrate into Google Home

[thusly]

I have several Google cameras that I had let the batteries go to zero.  Even after charging them all up, the Nest app or Google Home app does not recognize them.  As such, I am adding these cameras to Google Home.  I am entering the setup code, and the system is connecting with the cameras, up until the point that I am consistently getting an error message stating that the system is unable to connect with the camera.  The Google suggestion is to turn off and on the Airplane mode, and relaunch the app.  I have done this repeatedly and still come up short where the system/app is not able to connect with the camera.  Any suggestions as to how to rectify this situation?  Thanks in advance for any thoughts.....

[MplsCustomer]

@thusly 

Did something else happen besides running down the batteries? If that's all that happened, I'm not sure why you have to reinstall them in the Google Home app. as long as you're still accessing the same Google Nest "home/structure" in which the cameras were installed.  (They CANNOT be installed in or recognized by the Google Nest app.) Are you getting a green status light, or something else?

When you charged your cameras, did the status light pulse white while charging, and turn solid white when your batteries where charged?

Were the batteries dead long enough that the cameras lost their settings? If so, did you try a factory reset after charging them, and before trying to reinstall them? (https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/9252162?hl=en&sjid=10102285131890976864-NC#zippy=%2Cnes...)

(We've had a battery camera plugged in with the optional power cable for over 2 years, so we've never had battery issues.)

[thusly]

The cameras appear to be recharging properly - I am getting a solid white light.  I am not getting a green status light.  I did try resetting the cameras after charging them and then trying to add them to the system....After trying to add the cameras, i get as far as the last step until the message "Something went wrong - Try connecting again.  If that doesn't work, try rebooting your device or turning off phone's airplane mode on and off before trying again."  I have tried all those steps but fail to get on....  I am trying to do all these activities in the Google Home app which ironically, shows all the wired cameras I have.  The Nest app is not being used.

[MplsCustomer]

@thusly 

During the factory reset (not restart), did you depress the reset pin for at least 12 seconds until you got a solid yellow status light and a confirmation tone?  Following the reset, are you getting a pulsing blue status light indicating it's ready to set up?

[thusly]

I will try that - I had only depressed the reset pin for 5-7 seconds - no yellow light.  Thanks!

[MplsCustomer]

@thusly 

The link above has instructions for Restart, and farther down, for Factory Reset.

[thusly]

Just tried reset for a longer period - the yellow light did come on, followed by a musical chime.  Unfortunately, trying rto add the camera in the same manner as before yielded the same error message.....

[MplsCustomer]

@thusly 

Are you getting a pulsing blue status light when you start the reinstall process, indicating that the camera is ready to connect? (https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/9268073?hl=en-CA&sjid=10768169711582230641-NC#zippy=%2C...)

[thusly]

The blue comment triggered some success:  I switched networks on my portable device that I am using to connect after resetting the camera - I was in fact able to connect one camera (I have seven cameras) successfully.  However, even after that connection, the green light went off and I am not able to place it where I want to for viewing.   Regardless, I will try the procedure of:  resetting camera (12 seconds), changing the network I am using, and attempting to go through the entire setup with the app.  Thus far, a little more progress....  Perhaps when I set up the cameras initially I might have used a different network?

[MplsCustomer]

@thusly 

I think you may have some challenges if you have multiple Wi-Fi networks in your home, are switching between them, and are not sure which Wi-Fi network you used to set them up originally.

You'll want your phone or tablet connected to the same Wi-Fi network when installing any of your Google Nest devices, and you'll want to have the same Google Nest "home/structure" selected in the Google Home app and Google Nest app (if you have more than one).

I don't know why the green status light went off on your camera when you moved it after successfully installing it, but one possibility is poor Wi-Fi signal strength for the Wi-Fi network you used in the location to which you are moving the camera.

[thusly]

I think you are onto the correct issue - i do have an extender system that I believe was set up to operate all the cameras.  I will continue to go with the procedure for each camera by: 1) using the extended WIFI on the mobile device; 2) reset the camera; 3) use the google home app to see if i can connect; and 4) hope and pray it works.  will provide feedback as to outcomes.   Thanks!

[thusly]

Thus far, some success - i have successfully connected two cameras to the system, only to have them not work with the Google Home viewing screen.  I am going to retry resetting them and reconnecting them to a different network as see if that helps.  Some hope......